For a long-treasured family lake house in desperate need of a refresh, two sisters turned to Schumacher to zhuzh-up their midcentury modern space without dismantling its perfectly imperfect charms. Stylish and happy indoor/outdoor fabrics were just the things to channel the cabin’s surprisingly chic legacy—and they’re tough enough to handle anything that comes their way.
The lakeside getaway that sisters Vivette Porges and Claudia Beyer grew up in and inherited from their parents had begun to show its age. But any redo would require a gentle hand to preserve the home’s intellectual-boho air: Their dad, Peter Paul Porges, had been an illustrator for The New Yorker; their mom, Lucie, had spent 43 years as a designer for fashion icon Pauline Trigère, and had lovingly renovated the home. Both of them were Viennese émigrés, and through the years the cottage crackled with life. It was the type of place where the neighborhood kids congregated for breakfast, where the atmosphere was welcoming and unpretentious, and all the details felt right without any of it trying too hard. “We didn’t want to do anything that would change the essence of Mama’s house,” says Vivette.
In the end, the Schumacher team opted for indoor/outdoor fabrics in the kinds of bold, bright motifs that Lucie always favored to wake up the spaces without altering them too much. The high-performance textiles are ideal for the relaxed, easy-breezy lifestyle that the family has always cherished at the house, and honor the chic practicality that Lucie espoused. “She would love it,” says Claudia.
It was the type of place where the neighborhood kids congregated for breakfast, where the atmosphere was welcoming and unpretentious.
In the end, the Schumacher team opted for indoor/outdoor fabrics in the kinds of bold, bright motifs that Lucie always favored.
Produced by Olivia Caponigro and Tori Mellott. Photography by Max Kim-Bee. Interior styling by Olga Naiman. Food styling by Paul Grimes.
